Seiwa

Exquisite silk, priceless white jade, dazzling gold.

There is no need to doubt that at this moment, in the eyes of Dias, Meng Qinghe, who is wearing a luxurious suit and a jade belt with a gold medal, is not just an angel, but also a golden mountain, with golden light shining all over his body.

"Praise God!"

He has worked so hard and risked death to come to the east, for what?

Get rich!

Fill the whole room with gold coins, send luxurious silk, and even the proud lady will bow down at his feet.

The person who can help him achieve all this is sitting in front of his eyes at this moment.

Dias had been a devout believer, but for gold and silk, for the dream of getting rich, he didn't mind converting.

This is the early European adventurers, with various names, but only one purpose, gold, more gold!

Dias' eyes were too hot, like a beggar who has been starving for days and suddenly sees a big meal.

Meng Qinghe originally wanted to be kind and friendly, but in this case, he couldn't be friendly no matter what.

With a cough, he barely suppressed the urge to hit someone.

It's not the time yet, let's get to the bottom of it first, and talk about the rest later.

All Dias wanted was wealth.

Meng Qinghe can give it to him.

The premise is that he is willing to work for himself and don't have other bad thoughts.

Oriental silk, porcelain and spices are sold to Europe, each of which is very valuable.As for tea, Meng Qinghe decided to go to the imperial court to impose purchase restrictions not only on Europe, but also on big cannibals.

Without tea, Europeans would not be able to solve the difficulties encountered in long-distance voyages, even if they broke through the blockade of the Ottoman Empire, they would not go far.Arriving in America is even more out of the question.

In terms of whether this move will have an impact on history, Meng Qinghe said that as long as it is beneficial to China, he does not mind that Europe will be poor for hundreds of years.

Meng Qinghe doesn't know Portuguese, nor can he speak Dashi, but his English is pretty good.Alas, in fifteenth-century Europe, French, Spanish and German were in wider circulation.Moreover, English in the Middle Ages is very different from modern English, both in terms of vocabulary and grammar.Not to mention that Dias was a Portuguese, Meng Qinghe still couldn't communicate with a real Englishman.

For example, being able to read and write modern Chinese proficiently does not mean that one can fully master classical Chinese.Can write Song style characters, but still get dizzy when encountering big seal characters.

At this time, the role of interpreting is manifested.

The earl of Daming, the adventurer of Frangji, needs to communicate through Dashi language, which is also an interesting thing, although the content of this conversation is far from the word "interesting".

After experiencing the initial excitement, Dias gradually calmed down.

According to the etiquette of the interpreter professor, he solemnly saluted Meng Qinghe.

Meng Qinghe raised his hand, "Please sit down."

According to Dias's status, he could only speak standing up, but to put it bluntly, kneeling is also acceptable.Meng Qinghe had his reasons for being so polite.

From Ding Qian's account, he has a certain understanding of Dias.This person is very interesting and will be quite useful.Perhaps, it was his descendants who discovered the Cape of Good Hope.

The Portuguese navigator's grandfather was equally adventurous as his father and had sailed with the fleet.It is not known whether he has been to the East or not.

"Mr. Dias is a Frangji man?" Meng Qinghe said with a smile, "Did you come to Daming on a sea ship of Dashi?"

After the interpreter translated, Dias nodded quickly, "Yes, Your Excellency."

Dias didn't know the difference between Daming's knighthood and Portugal's, but this did not prevent him from being convinced that Meng Qinghe was a great nobleman.

Subconsciously clenched his fists, his heart was still beating fast, the Earl of the Kingdom of Gold, he really had good luck.

"Come to the East because of God's guidance. It is my honor to meet Sir."

"Really?" Meng Qinghe smiled, "Dias, I am very interested in Francois, and I am also interested in Europa."

"My lord knows my country?"

"I don't know much, but I probably know a little bit." Meng Qinghe nodded, and asked casually: "Great Britain and France are still at war? Who is the king of the Holy Roman Empire now? Is he a member of the Habsburg family?

"Sir..."

Dias swallowed hard, and all the speeches he had prepared fell through.He wanted to pretend that he was an aristocrat in order to get Meng Qinghe to look at him differently, but unfortunately, Meng Qinghe's understanding of Europe was completely beyond his imagination, and this way might not work.

Seeing that Dias was silent, Meng Qinghe frowned, "Why, don't you know?"

"No." Dias hurriedly said, "I'm just surprised that Sir Sir knows my country so well."

"What's the matter?" Meng Qinghe sneered, as if he had seen through Dias, "Dias, you don't know enough about Daming."

"Yes." Dias was sweating a little, "Thank you sir for reminding me."

Seeing people being honest, Meng Qinghe continued, "I know what you want, Dias, and I can fulfill your wish."

Two not-so-exquisite gold coins appeared in Meng Qinghe's hands, collided with each other, and made a soft sound.

This was brought back by Ding Qianhu.

Hearing Meng Qinghe's words, Dias suddenly raised his head, "My lord, is what you said true?"

"Naturally." The smile on Meng Qinghe's face deepened, "But you must prove your worth to me. Otherwise, my subordinates will be able to fish you out of the sea, and they can still throw you down again."

What Meng Qinghe said was too straightforward, and it really didn't conform to the aesthetics of officialdom.

"Uncle, this..." The interpreter hesitated.

"Just say it."

To threaten someone, you have to speak plainly and show your fists.Beating around the bush, this Frenchman may not really understand it.Dealing with European adventurers in this period, you can give sweet dates, but also a big stick, and if necessary, you can also replace it with a mace.

Meng Qinghe doesn't care whether Dias swears allegiance to himself, he swears to God, and he may not believe him.But Meng Qinghe believes that as long as he gives enough benefits and explains the consequences of not cooperating by the way, he can make this Frangji man do his best for himself.

In medieval Europe, theocracy was supreme, and the concept of the state was not yet deeply rooted.It is not uncommon for knights to be hired by other countries to attack their own country with swords and shields.The most famous is the Germanic knight, called the ace mercenary.

By the end of the Middle Ages, there were fewer such cases, but money can make ghosts turn the millstone, and give a considerable reward, and the gold coins are still in front, and the king is in the back.

Dias is very tangled, while Meng Qinghe is an old god.

From the very beginning, he pinpointed Dias's weakness, dug a hole, and just waited for the Frang robot to jump down by himself.

America is a must, and Europe can also be visited along the way.

It is not bad for those who open up new routes to change their names in the history books.

Picking up the teacup and taking a sip, Meng Qinghe believed that Dias would give him a satisfactory answer.

"My lord," Dias stood up and said solemnly, "In the name of God, I swear allegiance to you!"

After saying that, she knelt down on one knee and was about to hold Meng Qinghe's hand.

Meng Qinghe didn't move, the interpreter had jumped up, stepped forward and grabbed Dias by the collar, and said sharply: "You barbarian, how dare you offend uncle?!"

Hearing the interpreter's scolding, the guards outside the door turned their eyebrows upside down, offending uncle?This is not bad!

In a blink of an eye, the door opened wide, and the guards rushed into the room. Dias was pinned to the ground, unable to move.

"Okay, let him go."

"Uncle?"

"It's nothing, just a misunderstanding."

The personal guard did not dare to disobey his orders, and when he left, he gave Dias a few hard glances, and kicked him in a fair and just way, for a very legitimate reason, just in case.

"Get up."

Dias stood up, rubbing his blue eyes, and didn't dare to complain at all. Seeing Meng Qinghe looking at him, he quickly put down his hands and said, "My lord, I can draw charts and can also make artillery."

Meng Qinghe's expression became serious in an instant, "This statement is serious."

Dias nodded, took out the travel notes of Marco Polo, which had been soaked in seawater, turned to the middle page, ruthlessly tore it off, and handed it to Meng Qinghe.

"My lord, this is my sincerity to you."

This page is thicker than the other pages, and it is obviously made of two pages glued together.

Meng Qinghe took the pages of the book and carefully opened them with the dagger he carried with him. Soon, his brows frowned.

There is a drawing between the pages of the book, but unfortunately, most of it is soaked in sea water, and it is blurred, and it is impossible to see what is drawn on it.

Picking up the drawing, Meng Qinghe looked at Dias. Is this the so-called sincerity?

Seeing the blueprint in Meng Qinghe's hand, Dias was like a thunderbolt, and said anxiously: "My lord, I swear, this is a blueprint for artillery!"

Meng Qinghe pinched the forehead. It was a blueprint before, but now it is also waste paper.

I'm afraid this man has forgotten that he took a book and soaked in the sea.He was rescued on board, and he didn't check the drawings for the first time, otherwise, it wouldn't be like this.

Really couldn't see anything, Meng Qinghe could only give up, turned to the interpreter, and said, "Ask him, how much of the content above does he remember?"

When the interpreter asked Dias, the other party immediately turned from depression to energy.

"My lord, I remember most of it!"

"Really remember?"

"I swear to God I dare not deceive you."

"Okay, draw it."

Meng Qing and others prepared paper and pens. Knowing that Dias could not use brushes, he asked the chief follower to find some charcoal and send them.

"Please trouble Zhao Tong to translate." Looking at the red-haired drawing, don't let him run around before he finishes drawing.

"The next official takes orders." The interpreter handed over his hands, promising to complete the task.

Dias left with his travel notes, pen and paper, he was more eager than Meng Qinghe to restore the drawings.

Meng Qinghe was left alone in the wing room.

The tea was already cold, and the slightly bitter taste made his brain clearer.

Dias is more useful than he expected.

European artillery, in this era, is the most famous "Flang machine gun" imitated by Ming Dynasty.He is looking forward to what the drawings drawn by Dias will look like.

There are also firecrackers. Dias can draw artillery blueprints, so he should also know about firecrackers.

If it proves to be available, a workshop can be opened for craftsmen to try out.

Thinking of this, Meng Qinghe shook his head again. Making artillery in Daning is easy to attract people's tongue, and it is not in line with court rules.More importantly, if Emperor Yong Le issued another edict to keep the technology secret and transfer the craftsmen away, he would have no place to cry.

It's better to send the blueprint to the Beijing Ordnance Bureau, and the Ministry of Industry will remember his favor. With Shen Xuan, the credit will be shared equally, and the benefits of falling in Daning will not be less.

Yes, just do it.

After making up his mind, Meng Qinghe got up and went to the study.

He wrote two letters, one sent to Beijing and the other to the Xuanfu, and the key content of the letter was transcribed into the memorial, stamped with the official seal, and the guards were ordered to leave immediately and send them to Nanjing.

Dashi Merchant Ships, French Machine Cannons, Adventurers from Europe, and the Zheng He Fleet that is about to set sail again.

Meng Qinghe had many uncertainties in his heart, but more excitement.

With Shen Xuan not around, this excitement was shared by no one, and he walked around the study several times rubbing his hands, but still couldn't calm down.Simply learn from Ding Guogong, change clothes and go to the school grounds in the mansion to find someone to discuss.

The personal guards and Jin Yiwei in the uncle's mansion were frightened together.

Compete with Xing Ningbo in martial arts?What a joke!

There have always been rumors among Yanshan defenders that Uncle Xingning is a true hero on the battlefield, a man of iron and blood.

If this statement is true, sparring with him is looking for abuse, and no one is willing to do it.

It's even worse if it's pure fiction.In case of a mistake during the sparring process, Xing Ning Bo accidentally scratched the skin, wherever he bumped, Duke Ding would be waiting behind him.It's good to make a fist, but if you wipe the knife, your life will be over.

No matter what the situation is, daring to make gestures with Xingningbo is courting death.

The soldiers are upright and like to use their fists to develop friendship. It doesn't matter if it develops to the Tatar Wara Uliangha.

The personal guards and Jin Yiwei resisted to the death, so Meng Qinghe could only wield knives and guns in the school grounds alone, slashing his waist fifty times.

After the split, he swore that he would never laugh at Shen Xuan for having no friends anymore.

Is this what it feels like to be so cold at a high place, lonely and cold?

Holding a waist knife, Meng Qinghe looked up at the moon and sighed deeply.

As a result of the chopping knife, Meng Qinghe's arm was so sore that he couldn't lift it for several days.

Even so, you have to go to the Yamen every day and work hard.

After handling official duties, he had to change into blue casual clothes, put on a hoodie, and take a few personal guards to patrol the military camp outside the city to find problems in time and solve them on the spot.

In late March, the ice and snow in northern Xinjiang melted, and the frontier fortresses started spring plowing one after another.

Military settlements, commercial settlements, and civilian settlements are all busy.

Soldiers working in the fields and strong men with hoes can be seen everywhere.

Farm tools are not a problem, but the number of farm cattle is limited. Even if you have to pay taxes to use the imperial court’s farm cattle, there are still many frontier residents who register at the Yousi and wait in line to receive the farm cattle.The tax can be paid after the summer grain, and it is fundamental to finish the spring plowing first.

The northern border is vast and sparsely populated, and the imperial court's immigration from Shanxi also gave priority to enriching Beijing, followed by the eight prefectures of Shuntian, and Daning's turn, which is still far away.

The resident population of Daning is still small, but the number of Wuliangha and Jurchen tribes that come and go is gradually increasing.

The imperial court opened a mutual market in Kaiyuan Guangning, mainly trading horses and livestock.Daning became a distribution center for grain, fur and cloth.Some officials used this to impeach, but Emperor Yongle not only did not pursue it, but instead issued an imperial edict to Meng Qinghe, Xu Daning opened a mutual market every summer and autumn, and the tax collected was handed over to the Ministry of Households according to Kaiyuan and Guangning regulations.

Meng Qinghe asked Zhu Gaosui, and discussed with Daning Dusi, and decided to turn over [-]% of the tax amount to the emperor's internal treasury after it was decided to hand it over to the household department.

Considering that it was the emperor who took the money, the imperial censor Yanguan jumped up and down twice, and when he was pushed down, he could only recognize his nose.

It is true that the internal treasury belongs to the emperor's private property, but in the event of natural disasters and man-made disasters, when disaster relief food needs to be distributed, the emperor's own money may not be less than the national treasury.For example, during the Chongzhen period, most of the military pay paid to Liaodong was paid by the emperor himself.

Ask the Ministry of Accounts?Just two words, no money.

Even the officials of the Manchu Dynasty were very rich, but they still cried poor in front of the emperor.

Where did the money in the treasury go?

Probably only the heavens and the earth know it, the publics in the court know it.

Chongzhen himself was responsible for causing such a predicament, but the greatest responsibility still lay with those officials who clamored for their family, country and world, fought with each other happily, and were not relentless in taking filial piety.

In the Yongle Dynasty, the struggle in the court always existed, but the struggle was the struggle, and the work had to be done.

Dare to fight all day without doing practical things, it is definitely the rhythm of going home and farming.Zhu Di was angered, he was exiled into the army, his head was beheaded, and he changed his appearance.

People say that Zhu Di is easy to kill, but at certain times, raising a knife is far more useful than convincing others with virtue.

The emperor was very satisfied with the Daning money handed over, and the Ministry of Household Affairs also let go, and the officials would not make fun of themselves. Daning became the third mutual market in northern Xinjiang after Kaiyuan Guangning.

After spring plowing, with the arrival of summer, there will be more Wuliangha and Jurchens in the city, and then, it will be another different scene.

After leaving the city, the sky began to drizzle, and unexpectedly ran into Shen Xuan who had returned from Beijing.

The bright red unicorn suit, the black headdress, when the horse is whipping, the eyebrows are even more sharp.

The horseshoes stepped across the official road, but there was no dust, but the smell of grass and rain.

Meng Qinghe went up to meet him, he didn't expect that Shen Xuan would come back so soon.

"My lord."

The knight tightened the reins, and the steed neighed and stomped hard.

Shen Xuan didn't say much, just said: "We'll talk about it when we enter the city."

Meng Qinghe nodded, and returned to Daning City with Shen Xuan.